Anacapa School to Host Space Experts
Students will take an in-depth look at the future of space exploration during the school’s annual Synthesis Unit
A well-rounded panel of professionals will be available to answer questions regarding the future of the U.S. space program.
The annual, three-day Synthesis Unit is Anacapa’s premier tool for developing critical thinking skills. Each Unit provides students with unique opportunities to explore a topic in depth. Expert speakers make individual 45-minute presentations with plenty of time for questions and answers. This school year, the small independent school has an all-star lineup of presenters ranging from UCSB astrophysicists and astronomy experts on the cutting edge of modern interstellar research to specialists who will discuss how ancient Central American stargazers had, in many ways, a greater understanding of the heavens than some European cultures. The students will also visit Vandenberg Air Force Base to learn about the space launch operations there as part of their research.
The regular daytime Synthesis Unit presentations on January 28-30 are open to the Anacapa School community and prospective students and parents. The school will also host a special public presentation by NASA Astronaut Richard Linnehan at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, January 28, 2013, at the Santa Barbara Public Library’s Faulkner Gallery. Members of the general public are welcome to attend this free event to hear from Dr. Linnehan, a veteran of four Space Shuttle flights who has spent more than 58 days in orbit, including six Extra Vehicular Activities (EVAs or “spacewalks”), one of which involved a servicing mission to the Hubble Space Telescope.
“Our students have such unique experiential learning opportunities during Synthesis Units,” said Anacapa’s founding headmaster Gordon Sichi. “For many of our bright young minds, this year’s panel will certainly spark an interest in space and astronomy.”
The Synthesis Unit will conclude on Wednesday evening, January 30 with a stargazing party staged by amateur astronomy enthusiasts from the Santa Barbara Astronomical Unit. After the three days of presentations, students will be asked to create academic products designed to synthesize the information learned during the week with the goal of charting the nation’s future in space.
During the week of May 20, 2013, Anacapa School is scheduled to connect via radio with an astronaut aboard the International Space Station (ISS) as the school participates in the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program, a cooperative venture between NASA and other international space agencies. The 10-minute live forum will bounce between Anacapa students and astronauts as the space station’s orbit passes over Southern California. NASA is expected to confirm a final date for Anacapa School’s ARISS contact sometime in the 2013 Spring Semester.
A tentative lineup of Synthesis Unit speakers can be found here. Members of the press who are interested in attending a particular event or events are asked to coordinate their requests with Levi Maaia at Anacapa School (see contact information at the end of this release).
About the Anacapa School:
Anacapa School is an independent, co-educational, WASC-accredited, college preparatory day school for students in grades 7-12. Founded in 1981, Anacapa offers rigorous academics, unparalleled civic involvement, arts and humanities at its historic campus located in the heart of the Santa Barbara civic center.
